Free NAPLAN practice tests: what is out there

Search for "NAPLAN practice test" and the results are full of products for sale. Some are good and some are not. Before you pay for anything, it helps to know what is available for free, and what is simply not available to anyone.

The free options, one by one

1. The public demonstration site

This is the one to start with. The public demonstration site on nap.edu.au shows the types of questions students will see and the tools available during the test. It runs all year and covers Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, with standard tests plus accessible alternatives such as visual, audio and colour-theme versions.

What it is good for: seeing the question types (drag-and-drop, hot text, multiple choice), the layout, the calculator, protractor and ruler where they are allowed in numeracy, and the writing panel and editing tools for Years 5, 7 and 9.

What it is not: a tailored test. ACARA notes that the demonstration tests do not adapt to the student's answers, although example messages about not going back to earlier sections are included.

2. Practice tests at school

The key dates page says that, from Term 3, 2026, schools can run practice tests on the assessment platform ahead of the 2027 tests. These practice sessions are organised by schools and test administration authorities, so ask your child's teacher whether the school will be using them. They are the closest experience to the real screen.

3. Past papers from 2008 to 2016

ACARA's own FAQ explains that past NAPLAN papers and answers from 2008 to 2016 are on ACARA's website. These are paper tests from before the move online, so the format has changed. They remain useful for seeing the sorts of reading passages and numeracy questions that have been asked.

4. Writing prompts and marking guides

The What's in the tests page has example narrative and persuasive prompts and links to both marking guides. Parents can read the guides to see how writing is scored, and children can use the prompts for timed practice. Our post on what markers look for explains the criteria in plain English.

What you cannot get

Parents sometimes search for last year's paper. ACARA does not publish answers to recent test questions. The same FAQ explains that because of tailored testing, students see different questions depending on how they perform, so there is no single version that could be shared, and it does not provide access to past tests after 2016 because they are used to develop the program.

If a website claims to sell "the real NAPLAN papers from last year", it cannot be what it says.

Where paid practice fits

Free resources cover the format. Some families want more questions than that, for example a full set of NAPLAN-style items in all four areas, with worked answers. That is where a paid resource can help, as long as it is honest about what it is. Writing like "NAPLAN-style" matters here: it means written to follow the same content and format, not taken from the real test.

ACARA is explicit that it does not endorse any product that uses its material, so no product should be read as connected to it. The same applies to us: our papers are NAPLAN-style practice, written independently, and we have no connection with ACARA.

How to judge a paid resource

If you decide to buy something, a few questions will tell you a lot:

• Does it say what it is? "NAPLAN-style" or "practice" is honest. "Real NAPLAN papers" is not possible for recent years.
• Does it explain the answers? A mark without an explanation teaches little.
• Does it cover the writing task and say how its feedback works? Any writing feedback that does not come from a trained marker is an estimate and should be labelled as one.
• Does it match the year level and the format? A Year 5 child needs online-style questions; Year 3 needs paper-style writing.
• Can you cancel easily, and is the price clear? You should not need to ring someone to stop a subscription.

A simple term plan using free resources

Week one: one demonstration test in the domain your child finds hardest. Week two: a past paper section or a writing prompt, timed. Week three: the same again for a second domain. Week four: rest, and reading for pleasure. Repeat once if you like, then stop. That is four or five short sessions in a term, which is plenty for a test that is meant to reflect what is taught at school.

How to use practice without overdoing it

• Do one demonstration test per domain. One session each for reading, conventions, numeracy and writing is plenty.
• Treat the results as information, not a score. The point is to see which question types slow your child down.
• Review wrong answers together. A wrong answer is useful only if you work out why.
• Stop when it stops being useful. A child who is anxious or bored gains nothing from another paper.

Where to go next

• Do you need to prepare for NAPLAN?
• Year 3 NAPLAN writing on paper
• A NAPLAN-style form 01 paper is free on our samples page, and our pricing page lists what is in the full set.

---

Not affiliated with ACARA or the NSW Department of Education.